Haynes V. Ford Motor Co., Case No. 19-Cv-12427
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Case 2:19-cv-12427-TGB-APP ECF No. 1 filed 08/16/19 PageID.1 Page 1 of 225 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN JAMAR HAYNES, SCOTT Case No. 2:19-cv-12427 WHITEHILL, MATTHEW BROWNLEE, BENJAMIN BISCHOFF, STEPHEN LESZCZYNSKI, CASSANDRA JURY TRIAL DEMANDED MORRISON, ROBERT RANEY, and DAVID POLLEY, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, Plaintiffs, v. FORD MOTOR COMPANY, a Delaware corporation, Defendant. CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT 010825-11/1171942 V1 Case 2:19-cv-12427-TGB-APP ECF No. 1 filed 08/16/19 PageID.2 Page 2 of 225 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 1 JURISDICTION ........................................................................................... 7 VENUE ......................................................................................................... 9 PARTIES ...................................................................................................... 9 Plaintiffs ............................................................................................. 9 1. Jamar Haynes – Georgia .......................................................... 9 2. Cassandra Morrison – Illinois ................................................ 11 3. Benjamin Bischoff – Louisiana ............................................. 13 4. Scott Whitehill – Nebraska .................................................... 14 5. David Polley – Ohio ............................................................... 16 6. Matthew Brownlee – South Carolina ..................................... 18 7. Robert Raney – South Dakota................................................ 19 8. Stephen Leszczynski – Wisconsin ......................................... 21 Defendant ......................................................................................... 23 1. Ford Motor Company ............................................................ 23 FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS ..................................................................... 23 Coastdown testing ............................................................................ 23 The coastdown results are used to create fuel economy information posted on vehicles’ windows and used in advertising. ....................................................................................... 26 Ford admits improper coastdown testing. ........................................ 31 1. 2019 Ranger ........................................................................... 31 CAFE standards provide manufacturers with credits for low emissions. ......................................................................................... 35 010825-11/1171942 V1 - i - Case 2:19-cv-12427-TGB-APP ECF No. 1 filed 08/16/19 PageID.3 Page 3 of 225 Criminal investigation ...................................................................... 41 Mechanism of coastdown cheating .................................................. 42 F-150 test results .............................................................................. 46 Ford’s History of Cheating ............................................................... 55 Ford advertising for the Ranger emphasizes fuel economy. ............ 57 Ford promotes the F-150 as best in class for fuel economy or publishes MPG estimates to beat its competition. ........................... 58 Economic harm ................................................................................. 67 TOLLING OF THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS ................................ 67 Discovery rule tolling ....................................................................... 67 Fraudulent concealment tolling ........................................................ 68 Estoppel ............................................................................................ 69 CLASS ALLEGATIONS ........................................................................... 69 COUNT 1 VIOLATION OF THE GEORGIA FAIR BUSINESS PRACTICES ACT (GA. CODE ANN. § 10-1-390 ET SEQ.) ................... 73 COUNT 2 VIOLATION OF THE GEORGIA UNIFORM DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES ACT (GA. CODE ANN § 10-1-370 ET SEQ.) ..................................................................................................... 74 COUNT 3 BREACH OF CONTRACT (BASED ON GEORGIA LAW) ........... 75 COUNT 4 FRAUDULENT CONCEALMENT (BASED ON GEORGIA LAW) .......................................................................................................... 77 COUNT 5 VIOLATION OF THE ILLINOIS CONSUMER FRAUD AND DECEPTIVE BUSINESS PRACTICES ACT (815 ILCS 505/1, ET SEQ. AND 720 ILCS 295/1A) .................................................. 82 COUNT 6 BREACH OF CONTRACT (BASED ON ILLINOIS LAW) ............ 86 COUNT 7 FRAUDULENT CONCEALMENT (BASED ON ILLINOIS LAW) .......................................................................................................... 88 010825-11/1171942 V1 - ii - Case 2:19-cv-12427-TGB-APP ECF No. 1 filed 08/16/19 PageID.4 Page 4 of 225 COUNT 8 VIOLATION OF THE LOUISIANA UNFAIR TRADE PRACTICES AND CONSUMER PROTECTION LAW (LA. REV. STAT. § 51:1401 ET SEQ.) .............................................................. 93 COUNT 9 BREACH OF CONTRACT (BASED ON LOUISIANA LAW) .......................................................................................................... 95 COUNT 10 FRAUDULENT CONCEALMENT (BASED ON LOUISIANA LAW) ................................................................................... 97 COUNT 11 VIOLATION OF THE NEBRASKA CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT (NEB. REV. STAT. § 59-1601 ET SEQ.) ............. 102 COUNT 12 BREACH OF CONTRACT (BASED ON NEBRASKA LAW) ........................................................................................................ 103 COUNT 13 FRAUDULENT CONCEALMENT (BASED ON NEBRASKA LAW) ................................................................................. 105 COUNT 14 VIOLATION OF THE OHIO CONSUMER SALES PRACTICES ACT (OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 1345.01 ET SEQ.) ................................................................................................... 105 COUNT 15 BREACH OF CONTRACT (BASED ON OHIO LAW) ............... 108 COUNT 16 FRAUDULENT CONCEALMENT (BASED ON OHIO LAW) ........................................................................................................ 110 COUNT 17 VIOLATION OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA UNFAIR TRADE PRACTICES ACT (S.C. CODE ANN. § 39-5-10 ET SEQ.) ................................................................................................... 115 COUNT 18 BREACH OF CONTRACT (BASED ON SOUTH CAROLINA LAW) .................................................................................. 116 COUNT 19 FRAUDULENT CONCEALMENT (BASED ON SOUTH CAROLINA LAW) .................................................................................. 117 COUNT 20 VIOLATION OF THE SOUTH DAKOTA DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES AND CONSUMER PROTECTION LAW (S.D. CODIFIED LAWS § 37-24-6) ........................................................ 123 COUNT 21 BREACH OF CONTRACT (BASED ON SOUTH DAKOTA LAW) ...................................................................................... 123 010825-11/1171942 V1 - iii - Case 2:19-cv-12427-TGB-APP ECF No. 1 filed 08/16/19 PageID.5 Page 5 of 225 COUNT 22 FRAUDULENT CONCEALMENT (BASED ON SOUTH DAKOTA LAW) ...................................................................................... 125 COUNT 23 VIOLATION OF THE WISCONSIN DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES ACT (WIS. STAT. § 110.18) ............................................. 130 COUNT 24 BREACH OF CONTRACT (BASED ON WISCONSIN LAW) ........................................................................................................ 131 COUNT 25 FRAUDULENT CONCEALMENT (BASED ON WISCONSIN LAW) ................................................................................. 133 Claims brought on behalf of the other state classes ....................... 138 COUNT 26 VIOLATION OF THE ALABAMA DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES ACT (ALA. CODE § 8-19-1 ET SEQ.) ............................. 138 COUNT 27 VIOLATION OF THE ALASKA UNFAIR TRADE PRACTICES AND CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT (ALASKA STAT. ANN. § 45.50.471 ET SEQ.) ........................................................ 140 COUNT 28 VIOLATION OF THE ARIZONA CONSUMER FRAUD ACT (ARIZONA REV. STAT. § 44-1521 ET SEQ.) .............................. 141 COUNT 29 VIOLATION OF THE ARKANSAS DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES ACT (ARK. CODE ANN. § 4-88-101 ET SEQ.) .............. 143 COUNT 30 VIOLATIONS OF THE CALIFORNIA UNFAIR COMPETITION LAW (CAL. BUS. & PROF. CODE § 17200 ET SEQ.) ................................................................................................... 144 COUNT 31 VIOLATIONS OF THE CALIFORNIA FALSE ADVERTISING LAW (CAL. BUS. & PROF. CODE § 17500 ET SEQ.) ................................................................................................... 148 COUNT 32 VIOLATION OF THE COLORADO CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT (COLO. REV. STAT. § 6-1-101 ET SEQ.) ........... 152 COUNT 33 VIOLATION OF THE CONNECTICUT UNFAIR TRADE PRACTICES ACT (CONN. GEN. STAT. § 42-110A ET SEQ.) ............ 153 COUNT 34 VIOLATION OF THE DELAWARE CONSUMER FRAUD ACT (DEL. CODE TIT. 6, § 2513 ET SEQ.)........................................... 154 010825-11/1171942 V1 - iv - Case 2:19-cv-12427-TGB-APP ECF No. 1 filed 08/16/19 PageID.6 Page 6 of 225 COUNT 35 VIOLATIONS OF THE FLORIDA UNFAIR AND DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES ACT (FLA. STAT. § 501.201 ET SEQ.) ..................................................................................................